1
Q
What is Ecotoxicology?
A
- Ecotoxicology is the study of how toxicants (usually man-made ones) harm living organisms in the receiving environment
2
Q
What are EIA’s?
A
- Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is a process to evaluate and minimise the impact of human activities on the environment
3
Q
Why are Ecotox and IA important?
A
- This knowledge is critical to ensure sustainable human development, and ultimately the future of mankind on Earth
4
Q
What is the importance of considering the environment?
A
- The collapse of civilisations can be linked in part to environmental damage, for example:
» Mesopotamia: Large scale agricultural irrigation projects led to salting, flooding and eventual destruction of countryside
» Mayan: Prolonged drought, exacerbated by deforestation to clear land for agriculture led to inability to support high population densities in cities
5
Q
What are two examples of how humans defined their relationship with the environment?
A
- Greek belief:
» Great respect for nature
» Humans are one with nature - Roman belief
» Humans are not part of nature, they are the stewards of the gods
» The world is there for human use (“natural resources”)
6
Q
Give two examples of how humans have refined their relationship with the environment.
A
- In the Middle Ages, stewardship gave way to outright control:
» Man’s dominion over nature through an advancement of learning (magic, astrology, alchemy) - Industrial revolution
» “Man’s triumph over nature”
» Has made life easier and more convenient, but …
» Pollution and overuse of resources → unsustainable environmental damage
7
Q
What is happening now that humans have damaged the environment?
A
- We are reforming our relationship with the environment
- The rise of the environmental movement in the West* (early 20th century)
» Questions about humanity’s treatment of nature
» Environmental policy, creation of protected areas
» Broad recognition (e.g., a book written in 1962 called Silent Spring is about the preservation of nature and what we must do)
8
Q
What is our relationship with the environment today?
A
- The idea that nature is there to be exploited
regardless of the effects has now (mostly)
gone, but … - Environmental issues rarely receive top priority because other things like jobs and money have a higher focus
» Climate change
» Protection of biodiversity
» Air pollution
» Water resource management - With modern technology, we are far more able to impact the environment than we have ever been – for good, and for bad
9
Q
Why do we need EIA?
A
- We need to assess the impact of human activity on the environment, so we can mitigate it
10
Q
What are the main drivers for EIA?
A
- Regulate pollution and pollution sources
- Concern about public health (esp. air quality)
- Appreciation of nature
11
Q
Give examples for the driver “Regulate pollution and pollution sources”
A
- 1810 Napoleonic law to divide noxious occupations into 3: to be removed from habitation, permitted on outskirts of town, and tolerated close to housing
- First pollution regulation in Aus* (≈1800): protection of Sydney’s water supply
12
Q
Give examples for the driver “Concern about public health (esp. air quality)”
A
- Town planning laws (in Aus: Factory Acts 19th century, modern OHS legislation)
- Link b/w human health and env (National Environmental Health Strategy 2000)
13
Q
Give examples for the driver “Appreciation of nature”
A
• First National Park in Aus created by Royal National Park (NSW) legislation 1879
14
Q
How is EIA used?
A
- EIA is a formal framework to mitigate impact of mankind on the environment
» When applied beforehand, the objective of EIA is to identify possible risks to the environment that may result from a proposed action
» This can then be used to modify the proposed action and mitigate its negative impact
15
Q
What factors are considered in EIA?
A
- EIA considers social, economic, cultural and environmental factors
- The EIA process is about organising these factors in order of priority
Ecotox & Impact Assessment
flashcards
Decks in class (2)
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